Looking to shifting your marketing focus to Germany? Here's what you need to know.
But why should I be the one to tell you? Well, although I'm British I've been learning German for the past few years (currently working towards my B2). I have German friends. I've worked with German clients. And if all goes well, I'll soon have an approved visa to develop my business into the country.
What follows are a several pieces its of advice that don't seem to be well documented elsewhere. When it comes to marketing, the focus is on digital marketing and covers the nuances to language and translation, technical adjustments you will need to make to a website, nuances with German culture as well the challenges with data, security and privacy in the country.
If a brand was looking to market to Germany, here is what I would tell them...
Here's the TLDR:
You need to have your content translated into German
Avoid using regular translation apps
Use AI translation apps with caution
Flagship content should be translated by a translator
Understand the difference between the informal and formal German
Understand the nuances between different German words and idioms
Strip out English idioms or other unusual turns of phrase
The number of things you need to translate is larger than you think
Your website and back office systems will need alterations, requiring a number of specialists
There's a huge number of regional differences across Germany
Leave your assumptions at the door at what life in Germany is like
Digital channels for marketing in Germany are very similar to the UK
However, the rate of digitalisation is very different
Do your research into the differences that exist in your industry
Ensure your website is as trustworthy as possible
Make sure your website conforms with German + EU laws
You need an Impressum
Understand that Germany is still a cash heavy society
Plus, there's some extra resources at the end
LANGUAGE, CONTENT & TRANSLATION
First and foremost are the challenges of language. You need to have your content translated. But can't we just use English? So many businesses ask this and unless you're targeting exclusively native English speakers in Germany the answer is always no.
Despite nearly 4 in every 5 Germans speaking English as a second language, when we look at search volumes via Google Keyword Planner, the demand for goods and services is always higher in German. We need the Germany language to get in front of German customers. So how to we get in front of German speakers?
TRANSLATION OPTIONS
'Can't we just use Google Translate?' is always a follow up question. But how does it stack up against AI translation apps and traditional translators to translate your content into German?
Google Translate is useful for the basics but useful for the basics when you're on holiday ordering in a restaurant, not when you want someone to spend thousands of pounds with you. Avoid it.
AI Apps like Deepl and ChatGPT are useful but should be used with caution. While they can translate well, the cultural nuances and particular angles which may resonate with a German audience won't be included. It will be just a replica of your English content. Translating blog content and secondary, less important content is what it can be used for.
Human translators are ideal but slower and more expensive, but will make sure that your content lands perfectly with your intended audience. They should be used for your flagship content.
These are some of the challenges...
The German language has both a formal and informal option - Let's take the word - you. In German there exists two versions, Du (informal) and Sie (formal). Translation apps don't know your intended audience, (and even then there is nuance to when you use one and when the other), but their translations can seriously skew things.
Then we have language nuance, which when you translate bit by bit via something like Google Translate it won't give you the right answer. Das Ding and Das Sache both mean 'The Thing' for example. However, Ding will mean a physical object, like the cable, or the laptop, and Das Sache will mean something more abstract like in the sentence 'The thing that I thinking about'. Translation apps and AI Apps will miss nuances so you will need to have someone who can check.
Then we have cultural understanding. English is full of metaphors, idioms and weird phrases that to a native English speaker are invisible in everyday language. If I was barking up the wrong tree, in German is translates to 'den falschen Baum anbellen' - This makes zero sense in German. Strip out idioms where you can or find the German equivalent.
TRANSLATION CHECKLIST
On first appearances a standard website translation job can be seriously underestimated. After all it's only a few core pages right?
If you're serious about marketing to the German market, everything should ideally be translated. This includes:
All core pages (Home, About, Contact)
Secondary pages (Category Pages, Product Pages, Blog)
Supporting Information (Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, Delivery and Returns)
Embedded content (Image Alt Text, Title Tags, Meta Descriptions)
Content in images (Banner images, Product Images)
Functionality content (Emails, Checkouts, Popups, 404 Pages, Confirmation Messages)
Translation work can be done in stages, but regardless of you're translating your content into German, realise that it can be a longer and messier job than you first thought.
TECHNICAL SETUP
In order for the right content to show for the right people in the right location takes some legwork. Fortunately, it's often a one time job however, here's what you'll also need to factor in...
Will your website allow for a multi-lingual setup? Certain CMS' can make adding an additional German version of your website very easy or very complicated depending on how they are built. Speak to a digital marketing consultant to see what is possible.
Can your website change content based on visitors geo-location? This will require the help of a website developer and there's some useful information from Geo-Targetly here.
Can Google understand which content is right for which language and which territory? This forms the cornerstone of International SEO configuration. Without this your German content is unlikely to be found. Moz provide a great guide on international SEO. You will need an SEO consultant for this and potentially a website developer.
Do prices and sales taxes automatically adjust? A 2018 study by PayPal, showed that 76% of e-commerce customers preferred paying online in their local currency. Different platforms have different options for this, some easier than others, so you will need a developer to handle the setup for this.
Will your back office systems need upgrading? Delivery prices, import taxes and delivery carriers all need to work seamlessly with any goods you ship and may need updating. Depending on the size and scope of your operations this may require a supply chain consultant.
CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
I'm not here to list off the differences between the UK and Germany. I am here to say though that you need to do your research before marketing to Germany. Some basics:
There's just as many regional differences across Germany's 16 states (Bundesländer) as we have in the UK. Food, traditions, dialect and behaviours and are all radically different. For just one example, I'd really recommend reading In Search Of Berlin: The Story of Europe's Most Important City by John Kampfner.
There's often a big difference between expectation and reality about what Germany is like. Are German's really more efficient for instance? Read this BBC article to find out. Try and leave your assumptions at the door.
The digital channels that Germans use are broadly similar to those in the UK. The search engines, social media channels and smartphones used in Germany are either the exact same channels, or are very similar. Kleinanzeigen is like Ebay. XING is like LinkedIn. It doesn't take long to work out the differences.
However, digitalisation is very different. Stats from Statista show that e-commerce penetration in the country is still considerably behind the UK. In 2023, Germany's e-commerce penetration rate was approximately 60% , while the UK exceeded 78%. You also see this in number of searches across multiple keyword research tasks. The volumes are almost always smaller. See my post on assessing international business potential here for this. So you may need to consider putting more resource into alternative forms of marketing to reach a wider audience.
Do your research. It's a message worth repeating as despite having all your content translated it might still not resonate with your German audience.
A CULTURAL EXAMPLE
Let's use the kitchen industry. While writing this post about SEO for Kitchen Designers I spent a lot of time finding different examples of German kitchen showroom websites for the German version of this post. What struck me is how radically different the content and positioning was when compared with the websites you see in the UK.
UK kitchen websites are much more aesthetic. There seems to be a focus on the 'experience' of the kitchen, beautiful details of the curve of a tap, or the corner of a worktop rendered in HD. With German websites, the emphasis seems to be on the showroom and directions to the showroom. Here's an example from a showroom in Stuttgart which on the first slide highlights its efficient delivery fleet. It's something which would never appear as the first item on a British kitchen design website.
What's the reason for this difference? Right now, I don't have a conclusive answer, but now I know this difference exists it's something to be mindful of if it comes to looking at the positioning of a kitchen client in Germany.
DATA, PRIVACY AND SECURITY
There's a lot that can be written about this, but when it comes to both the rules and the mindset, Germany takes digital security very seriously.
Show your business is as trustworthy as possible with the content on your website. Show clear contact details, photos and information of the team, social proof and 3rd party testimonials. This aligns very closely to Google's recommendations here for practical questions to ask yourself.
Check your marketing and advertising methods comply with national legal frameworks which may differ from or be in addition to current UK legislation. That can include everything from GDPR obligations for cookies on websites, consent mode for Google Ads or following the German Advertising Federation's Code of Conduct when it comes to influencer marketing. You will need to do your research.
Germany is still a cash-heavy society with at least 50% of people still use cash to pay for goods and services according to a 2023 report from the Deutsche Bundesbank. One of the biggest reasons cited? Privacy. While this is changing, if you're intending to use a POS system to sync your online orders with a bricks and mortar store then plan accordingly.
An Impressum (legal notice) is legally required on websites in Germany. The Telemedia Act (TMG), mandates that all commercial websites include specific information to ensure transparency and accountability. A guide from Ionos about writing one is available here.
RESOURCES
There are hundreds of different directions you could go in to learn more about Germany, its people, its language and its culture. Although there are so many things I could recommend these few websites and people would be a good starting point:
John Kampfner - Author and Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Katja Hoyer - Journalist and Historian
Deutsche Welle - English speaking news channel
40% German - A useful blog on life in Germany from a British perspective
Deutschlandfunk - One of Germany's prime radio stations
Meet The Germans - a interesting YouTube series from DW Euromaxx
SUMMARY
There are so many more nuances to marketing in Germany than simply pressing a couple of buttons to translate your website. SEO can play a critical role to stepping into the German market properly, bringing together the linguistic nuances, technical setup, cultural understanding and privacy concerns, to ensure customers find you, contact you and buy from you.
From German market research to competitor analysis, I've been working in SEO for over a decade and can show you first hand how increasing your visibility on Google can help generate new business.
Get in touch to see how we could work together.
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